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"Roll Call" in the Order of Business


laser158689

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On 9/20/2022 at 9:04 AM, laser158689 said:

Our HOA by-laws prescribe an Order of Business and the first item is "(i) Roll call;"

I interpret that to be some way taking attendance.  

Thoughts on my interpretation and the manner of taking the "Roll call"?  By voice only?  Would check-in at the door be acceptable?  Other methods?

A roll call is indeed used to take attendance, but "some way taking attendance" is much too broad an interpretation. This term has a defined meaning in parliamentary law.

"In some organizations it is customary at meetings to call the roll of officers in order to verify their attendance—or, sometimes in very small societies, even to call the roll of members. If there is a roll call of this nature, it should take place at the end of the opening ceremonies unless a special rule of the organization assigns it a different position in the order of business. The chair announces it by saying, “The Secretary will call the roll of officers [or “will call the roll”].”" RONR (12th ed.) 41:31

So yes, I am inclined to think that, unless the organization's rules provide otherwise, a rule which requires a roll call as part of the order of business requires that this be done "by voice" - specifically, by the Secretary calling the names on the roll.

It may well be desirable to amend the rules to remove the requirement for a roll call and take attendance by other methods instead (to the extent that there is a need to take attendance at all), but such methods are not a roll call.

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On 9/20/2022 at 5:29 PM, laser158689 said:

@Josh Martin Thanks for the reply.  Given 199 units in the building, a voice roll call seems like it will take quite a while!

Sure does.   It make me wonder why it was included in the bylaws, in the first place, and why it was never removed.

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